Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best resources for a complete beginner

You will of course keep them separated for loading. It is also important not to assume that a load developed in one make of brass will be good in another. The 308 is one cartridge where the difference between makes of brass can be stark. Federal is typically thick and heavy. A deprimed empty will weigh close to 180 grains. On the other hand Winchester is usually thin and light with a deprimed empty weighing about 155 grains. The thickness of the Federal brass reduces its capacity, so a full steam load worked up in WW may be over the top in Federal.

If you order your supplies from Sinclair Internbational and you end up not using something you can return it well past a year if not used

What part of the country are you in? I am certian a campfire member would
be more than willing to help you. Btw as you start to buy equipment go
with the best you can afford. In the end you will be much happier with your
purchases.
GreggH

Just thought I'd mention a few inexpensive items that get above average results. With reloading its not always the most expensive works best. Sometimes the bargains work as well or better.

1. Mathman mentioned the Lee ultimate 4 die set........inexpensive but above average plus you have the option to neck size only or full length size. Likely you will try both methods experimenting and that's part of the fun.

2. The Lyman reload kit is a bargain but personally I think the Lee reload kit for $140ish bucks is a better deal for a few reasons. One....I prefer an O press over a C press. Two.......the Lee powder measure that comes with that kit is by a good margin the most accurate powder measure I've used....even more accurate than measures costing 4 times as much. If you throw powder charges a lot like I do the Lee is a precious gem! Three......the Lee kit comes with a case trimmer, the Lyman doesn't.

With either the Lee or Lyman kit I would get an extra powder scale because double checking charge weight can be a good idea. I usually double check my first couple charges and after that check every 20th round or so. Myself I like to use an electronic scale as a main and a mechanical scale to double check the electronic scale.

3. Imperial sizing die wax is cheap and the best brass sizing lube there is IMO.......and a small tin lasts for years.

4. OOO Steel Wool works great for cleaning up the neck shoulder area on a fired piece of brass when prepping to reload. The shoulder/neck is where the brass makes the seal and a good seal is important. Its all I've ever used and in over 23 years I've never tumbled my brass. You might eventually decide to get a tumbler but Steel Wool is cheap and will get you started.

5. You will need a set of calipers to measure brass so you can trim to the proper length and measure overall length of loaded rounds.






Trystan

I much prefer a small piece of a ScotchBrite pad for this job. If using a Lee trimmer, in a drill it really works great. Cut to size with a pair of scissors. miles

Milespatton,

Thanks for the tip on the ScotchBrite pad, I'll have to try that.



Trystan

I was self taught... with no one to really around to show me the do's and don'ts.

There was no internet to be able to refer to...kinda learned trial and error.

Simple thought, thinking it thru isn't really that complicated...

So I am going to be contrary to what info you've been told so far.

1. First cartridge to load for... the 223.
Brass is plentiful, picking up range brass if available is also plentiful.. or their are sources, here on the campfire to acquire a bunch of 223 brass for cheap, cheap cheap.

2. Accept you are going to have casualties, in the learning process.. so don't get frustrated..

3. Take each phase in steps first. Step one, being one being resizing a case, and depriming it.
Do so to make sure it will fit the chamber of your rifle. A brass rod from the hardware store, to fit down the barrel of your 223, to knock it out with a rubber mallet.

4. I started off with an RCBS rock chucker kit... about $300. best bang for the buck.. Cabelas, Sportsmans Warehouse etc carry them, or plenty of other places on line.. should have everything you need and then some.

5. Dies, those come separately... and since they run the price of a box of ammo for most cartridges like the 06 etc..buy a couple different sets... just for the 223.. I like RCBS and then Lee... with Lee get the deluxe set...has a full length sized die, a neck sizer ( you'll need that) and a seating die...then purchase a Redding Body Die, and a Universal depriming die.

6. I will assume your 223 will be a bolt action, not an AR.

7. Find a willing resource on the campfire, to talk to you and someone you can call to talk to.. as you are starting with teaching yourself to resize a case, and prepare it..

8. The above is step one.. before you learn to load the case or shoot it. Sizing an prep is the hardest part for a newbie to learn, but getting that done, makes like easier for there on out.

9. The most useful dies in this phase will be the Lee Neck sizer, the Redding Body die, and the Universal deprimer. This best will give you an understanding of the concept... plus you are not playing with live ammo, so there is nothing to worry about hurting yourself, or someone around you.

10. AFTER you have learned to size a case, and fit it into your chamber with not getting stuck ( and then having to remove it), and then it easily extracting it....Then buy yourself one of the reload manuals, and read it.

The reason I recommend it this way, is learning one my own.. ..by doing the above first, you will have a hands on point of reference, of both success and failure within your mind. This will help you better understand more readily, what the Reloading Manual instructions are telling you.

You are going to mess up stuff.. accept that and remember screw ups are helping your learn.

Hence why I recommend the Universal Deprimer first. They are built tough..
Then the REdding body die for knocking the shoulder back.. you get a case stuck in there, vs a full body die, its easier to get the stuck case out of it, instead of wrecking a full body die... with a mandrel and a small but hefty head hammer.. I use a small sledge myself.
Finally the neck sizing die, will teach you to take care of the neck.

These were the parts that were the most frustrating for me as a new reloader, and the solutions I have learned to make it easier when I have taught others....the rest is down hill as far as I am concerned from that point.. as you have a good frame of reference in your mind at this point.

Final thing I have left out of this phase is lubing or "greasing your case" so it doesn't get stuck in the die.... Guys have all sorts of ways they prefer in doing this. There are plenty of different products out there... being self taught.. I was unaware of them, so I figured out my own way.....and I've never really seen anyone else do it the way I do. After trial and error, I finally ended up with picking up a blue frying pan like you use for camping.. that was $7. Then I morphed into using Amzoil Spray lube . $7 for a spray can that lasts quite a while.. I hang the pan from a hook off the reload bench I built.. the hook was $1.50 at the hardware store.....I hold the pan up and spray it until its "wet" .. not drenched... then it hangs overnight, so the excess drains off of it...

Then to lube the cases, I will toss 10 in the pan, and shake it like Jiffy Pop popcorn containers, if you are old enough to remember those...it rolls the cases around in the pan say 30 seconds or less...not overlubed or under lubed...so now you are ready to resize your cases..I found that way cheap and reliable...

Last thing you'll need to hold the cases, while you process this part is something to serve as a loading block. Reload kits come with one... what I have learned to prefer, since they are smaller and do the same job and are FREE.... for a 223 load block, I use the plastic holder 9mm ammo came in.. the size of a 3 x 5 card for a foot print, and at our local range, there are always a bunch of them in the trash can, on the pistol range. When you start later on the 308, 06 etc.. I use the same thing, that was in the box for the 45 ACP crowd....


Get case prep down pat... then learning to charge the case with powder...and seat a bullet is sort of simple.. hence why I say that is the down hill part.

Final seed to plant into your head... don't try to turn a 223, into a 22.250, or a 308 into an 06, or an 06 into a 300 Win Mag.
Too many newbies try to turn their rounds into the next size cartridge up.... until a screw up or blow up teaches them that was not a smart idea... and hopefully they didn't get hurt in the process or screw up their rifle....

Learn to load your rounds first to lower pressure loads, like used by cast bullet shooters...its safer and you won't hurt yourself..or your firearm... then when you have that concept down pat, then you can start loading up to factory ammo specs...this way, you learn the basics on rounds with larger margins of error....

This is akin to learning to shoot with a 22 LR instead of a 300 Win Mag... once you understand what your are doing.. then the 300 WinMag won't hurt ya as much....

Best of luck in your endeavors.
cheers and best regards
seafire

I'll be contrary to the contrarian.

All you need for lubing cases is a tin of Imperial sizing die wax, your fingertips, and a small towel.

Okay Mr Greasy Fingers...

Actually Imperial Sizing Wax is good stuff...Rumor has it that Schtick uses it to keep his chrome dome all nice clean and shiney..

But I still prefer the old Seafire Jiffy Pop method.. plus I can pick up my Amzoil spray lube at our local hardware stores...

they even carry amzoil gun oil.. although I've never had the need to pick that up....yet

Here’s a good read on the Lee neck sizer. I wish I had started this process from the outset.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12963945/1





P

Buy once cry once. Buy the best equipment you can afford.
Watch reloading videos before start and purchase anything.
If no experienced reloader lives close, get some ones phone number you call with questions.
Reloading is not a money saving proposition. You just get to shoot more with what you can afford to spend.

I learned by reading the how-to sections of Lyman's 48th Reloading Manual, The ABC's of Reloading and Lee Modern Reloading, 2nd Ed. Those manuals tell you all you need to get started. I generally like getting more than one reference on a subject. If only picking one of those, I would go with the Lyman's. However, I don't consider their load data to be the most comprehensive out there. But the fundamental how-to is covered very well in it. The ABC manual has no load data. Not a problem with all the powder manufacturers providing so much online.

I use one tube of Lee Resizing lube mixed with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol in an 8 fl oz pump spray bottle. Shake it before use then spray the cases and the lube dries quickly leaving a thin white film of lube ready for sizing. Maybe one day I will try the imperial sizing wax. Many seem to favor it, but the Lee mixed spray is easy and lots of it left. I originally tried the Hornady One Shot, but it was sticky when I tried it. It also seems to get recommended a bunch and maybe they fixed it or I got a bad batch, but when I did a search on it at the time, I wasn't the only one with the same complaint. So I poured out the rest and use that pump spray bottle it came in for the Lee mix.

In addition to the web, loading manuals and asking questions here, check to see if there's a rifle club in your area that does classes.

My home club does reloading classes and you don't need to be a member, we're trying to build the future, now.

The Lee neck sizer die is by far my favorite die. Makes reloading quick and simple with no messy case lube to have to clean up. Brass lasts longer, ammo has almost no run out......whats not to like

I started in the late 70s. I bought/read thoroughly 3 manuals first; Sierra, Speer, Hornady. I then bought a Lee Classic Loader, a medium sized machinist hammer ( had a hard and a soft end, hard rubber stuff) and an RCBS beam powder scale. I was using a .280 so I picked out a bullet with a crimping groove, 139 Hornady SP ( I had no idea how to 'set" COAL so trusted the crimp groove) I "hammered them in and then hammered them out", no lube ( they were neck sized only). I scraped the primer pocket residue out with a small screwdriver. I then had to hammer the case down onto the primer, which I hated doing. I loaded 4 rounds, 1/2 grain apart from the book MAX backward with IMR 4831 ( I wanted "speed" then, but wasn't going to go over Book Max for sure!) I then went and shot them from a bench @ 100. My 55gr (Max load) load shot a perfect 1" triangle with one hole cutting another. I was ecstatic! I shot that one box of brass for practice, and that Fall made my longest shot yet on a whitetail...276 looong steps down a pipeline right of way...I was "ruined" from then on, ha. Awhile later LEE came out with a hand held priming tool and the nifty case trimmers so I got one of those. That Christmas my wife bought me a 7mm Magnum. I tried the Lee loader with it but it would not size them down enough for my rifle. It shot factory ammo so well I didn't fret about it. I traded off the .280 for a Colt Python. Horribly loud so traded it in '82 for a new 700 classic in .257 Roberts. By then I had picked up a Mod 99 in .308, shot factory ammo in it and then traded it for an RCBS Rock Chucker Kit. I then went "whole hog" for the 7mm mag and had the 257 reamed out to the 257 Ackley Improved. Fell in love...I still use it too! Good luck to you pard, its a great hobby!

So the 280 and the Lee Hammer Loader is all you really need?...and powder scale... a machinist hammer... a small screwdriver...and a priming tool.

This is actually my plan to get into reloading. Just for fun, 30-30 and 223.
I think I'd like the minimalist approach. Being able to put my kit away in a cigar box with a pound of powder sitting on top.
Take it out once in a while and load up 60 or 80 rounds, then put it away for a while.

You might find some interesting reading here:

Handloading On A Shoestring :: By J. Marshall Stanton

Handloading Without Storage Space :: By Marshall Stanton

And the link to all the Tech Notes where the above links are found:

Beartooth Bullets > Tech Notes

Read JBs books as he has many labor saving tricks and he dismisses a lot of unnecessary steps that are so ingrained in me I have a hard time giving them up.
I like the one shot lube by Hornaday, I have never hung a case with it. But always keep Imperial as a back up and for major forming operations.

)[/quote]
So the 280 and the Lee Hammer Loader is all you really need?...and powder scale... a machinist hammer... a small screwdriver...and a priming tool.[/quote]

This is actually a pretty good plan. Or you could get an arbor press and dies, either way you can load some accurate ammo this way. I would get the RCBS universal primer as you don't have to get multiple shell holder and I think I popped a few primers with the Lee hammer primer set up.

That’s some interesting stuff. Thanks for the links.

Also I’ll check out the difference in some of the priming tools.

Only wish I’d thought of doing this during Ganders close out. Saw a heck of a deal on some nice scales.